Archives for December 2017

More action on the Massdrop front, the xDuoo Nano D3 digital audio player is unlocked for $75 with free shipping for the next four days and change. This will ship in early February 2018, with all sales final. There is no mention of warranty in the listing.

This can play up to DSD 256, has a microSD slot (up to 256GB), a 2-inch IPS screen, 8GB on-board storage, and around 20 hours battery life.

For the Android music player fans, the Adblocker (ad remover) for the NRG Player is currently FREE for a limited time on Google Play. The price before this promotion was $5. This is the unlocker (ad remover). To play music, you also need to install the main NRG Player app.

The Hifiman HE560 planar magnetics are available in open-box “Used – Like New” condition from authorized dealer Hifi Heaven from Wisconsin through Amazon Warehouse Deals. They also offer free phone and email support. These are open-back, so you cannot only hear but also smell the famous diary air(e)!

The new condition Pro-Ject Phono Box MM DC Phonograph Preamplifier goes for $79, but if you want to save some, you can get it in open-box condition as “Used – Very Good” at Amazon Warehouse Deals, sold and shipped by real world B&M A/V retailer HiDEF Lifestyle. It ships directly from them and it is not Prime eligible.

Surprise! Musician’s Friend is currently offering the new condition closed-back over-ear AKG K553 headphones for $99 with free shipping. This is an old fashioned sale, not a deal of the day, so the expiration date/time is unknown. The price is certainly right for a solid closed-back over-ear headphone, but there are many options out there as well these days.

While the lauded Focal CLEAR remains in-stock for its starting price of $1500, its cousin model, the newer ELEX is having a $100 off discount!

For the next two days and change, Massdrop is offering it for $700 instead of $800. The sale price is guaranteed until the end of this drop in two days and change.

If you had previously purchased it at $800, fear NOT! Existing participating in the drop will also pay $700, not $800. You don’t have to cancel and rebuy. Their email does not say exactly how this will be adjusted but if you had previously committed at $800, you’ll probably see an email or an adjustment. The payment will be collected after the drop, so your credit card will probably be charged for $700 instead of $800.

This is estimated to ship mid-February 2018, and comes with a 2-year warranty since it is a FOCAL-Massdrop co-operation.

It’s the coupon that keeps on giving. Coupon code CLEAROUT15 drops the price of the open-box Noontec Zoro Closed On-Ears from $15 to $12 with free shipping. This is the silver color scheme. As of the time of writing, they have ten units available. This is a pretty good price considering everyone get free shipping.

But wait, there’s more! The open-box white color scheme also goes for the same price. They have seven units available in this color as of the time of writing.

Coupon code CLEAROUT15 gets you 20% off select clearance items at BuyDIG until 12/31/17 at 11:59pm ET. One of those options is the open-box Fostex HP-A4 24-bit DAC/amp which drops from $299 to $240~ with free shipping. There is only one unit available of this per the listing there.

Running for the next two days and change (from blog-posting date), Massdrop is offering the new condition DarkVoice 336SE OTL Headphone Amp for $200 plus shipping and handling. This will ship in early February 2018 from Massdrop, and all sales are final. There is no mention to warranty in the listing.

The new condition Optoma NuForce uDAC5 goes for $199, but if you purchase it from the official NuForce Amazon store, the price will automatically drop by 10% in the shopping cart, making it a $180~ with free shipping. The shipment is fulfilled by Amazon, so Prime members get the usual free two days. Only the option sold by the NuForce Amazon store gets the automatic in-cart 10% off.

This too has a USB audio input and RCA and digital coaxial outputs. It supports up to DSD 256 and averages 3.9 out of 5 based on 7 customer reviews and has five answered questions. It is USB powered, there is no separate power input.

The new condition Optoma NuForce uDAC3 USB DAC/amp goes for $99 with free shipping, but if you purchase it from the official NuForce Amazon store, the price will automatically drop by 10% in the shopping cart, making it a $90~ with free shipping. The shipment is fulfilled by Amazon, so Prime members get the usual free two days. Only the option sold by the NuForce Amazon store gets the automatic in-cart 10% off.

This has a USB audio input, and two audio output, RCA and digital coaxial output on the back. The headphone input and volume dial are on the front. It averages 3.6 out of 5 based on 82 customer reviews and has 34 peer-asnwered qeustions.

NuForce too jumped on the bandwagon of opening their own “fulfilled by Amazon” store, and among the items they carry is the new condition Optoma NuForce HEM2 In-Ears that have an automatic 10% off in-cart discount, dropping the price from $149 to $134 with free shipping (fulfilled by Amazon). The NuForce Amazon store must be the seller, otherwise the 10% off discount won’t appear.

Or if you prefer to pay even less, you can get it for $101 with free shipping in open-box used like-new condition by BlinQ thru Amazon. This ships directly from BlinQ and it is not Prime eligible.

If you are looking for a Phone as a DAP, the good old HTC M8, a Verizon unlocked phone, in the red color scheme (which makes it loom more DAP-ish than phone-ish) is on sale for $75 with free shipping in seller refurbished condition by eBay seller “Guarantee Cellular” with a 60-day seller warranty. The other colors are sold out.

Android phones, even older ones, are typically better suited at dealing with music and streaming apps than Android DAPs since the DAP manufacturer have nowhere near the same level of Android experience as a phone manufacturer (other things equal).

The M8 has a microSD slot, it marks the re-embrace of the microSD card by HTC after the M7. HTC was also among the first to abandon the headphone jack, so they may be among the first to do the mea culpa 🙂

The M8, M9 and M10 all have a headphone jack. The HTC U11 abandoned it.

The current featured refurbished headphone deal at the refurbished Harman Audio website is the recertified JBL powered Synchros S500 closed-back over-ear headphones going for $65 with free 2-day Air shipping and warranty. They are available in two color schemes. They are powered by two AAA batteries, so a plus for fans of using rechargeables (as opposed to built-in batteries).

Speaking of JBL, the new condition JBL LSR308 8″ Two-Way Powered Studio Monitor is on sale for $129 with free shipping at B&H Photo and Amazon actual (limit three per customer).

This offer is open to everyone, not just Costco members! It’s another 1More sale, this time it is the new condition 1More Dual-Driver in-ears in the white or black color scheme going for $35 with free shipping thanks to a $15 off instant savings promotion that expires 1/22/18. Non-members can buy them too with a 5% surcharge, making them $37~ with free shipping instead.

Speaking of Costco, they have the Airpods for $140 that go in and out of stock and because these are so popular, they are restricted to Costco members only. To add to the confusion, Costco yanks the product page from their website when it is out of stock, so this is a YMMV depending on when you check.

They also have a members-only sale on the Jaybird Freedom Wireless for $50 with free shipping in gold or black color schemes.

The members-only offers can only be purchased by actual paying Costco members.

The Tascam TH-02 found themselves in some budget headphone recommendation lists and as it happens most of the time, a new model has arrived, it is the Tascam TH-03 (first time I’ve heard about it) and it is now in-stock and shipping for $25 with free shipping by Focus Camera directly or fulfilled by Amazon (Prime eligible), sold by aSavings, which is an online persona for Focus Camera.

It is marketed as a studio headphone, and indeed there are no consumer-y frills and accessories. You just get the 1/4″ adaptor. No mic/remote. Screenshot from Amazon listing below:

As of the time of writing there are three units left of the Chord Mojo marble-y button DAC/amp in “Used – Very Good” Open Box condition for $450 with free shipping by HiDef Lifestyle through Amazon Warehouse Deals. It ships directly from HiDef, and it is not Prime eligible. The new condition price of these is $529.

If you don’t want to wait for these to arrive slowly from China, and don’t want to pay $20 for them in new condition and Prime eligible, there is an alternative, used! At Amazon Warehouse Deals used prices start at $11.51 for the “Rose Gold” color, and $12 for the “Space Gray”. The link above shows the lowest price per color. For the individual listings, click on the “See all offers for this product” next to each color.

If you are looking for a budget powered splitter, the Pyle-Pro PHA40 4-Channel Stereo Headphone Amplifier is on sale for $16.58 at Amazon by Amazon actual with up to four per customer at the sale price. This is not a lightning deal.

This takes one 1/4″ input, and has four 1/4″ outputs, with individually controlled volume via four rotary dials. It only works when connected to the wall AC (adapter included). You have to use your own adapters if you plan to use it with 1/8″ headphones. It averages 3.7 out of 5 based on nearly 600 customer reviews and it has almost 100 answered questions.

Needless to say, this is mostly of utilitarian interest. If you are planning to do a flagship headphone comparison, you may want to use something better 🙂

The Black Friday pricing of $180 of the new condition V-Moda Crossfade M100 closed-back bluetooth over-ears (with 3.5mm wired playback as well) has been breached! You can now get the “Gunmetal Black” for $165 by Amazon actual (and marketplace sellers too) and $170 at Musician’s Friend. The other colors remain at $180…

This is probably a must have headphone if you want to be a “headphonalia guru”, it’s the good old Koss KSC75 clip-ons, continuing to be on sale for $10 in new condition by Amazon actual with up to three pairs per customer at the sale price. Free shipping for Prime members or with a $25+ order.

Closing the year with a bang, New York’s B&H Photo’s website has a BIG TWO-DAY SALE running until Thursday night at 11:59pm ET that includes, among others, the following headphones, all with free shipping:

Holiday shoppers are typically scooping up used Grados from Amazon more aggressively than during the “regular season”, but we finally spotted one available! It is the Grado Reference Series RS1e in “Used – Very Good” condition (cosmetic imperfections; damaged original packaging) for $556 with free shipping by Amazon Warehouse Deals actual. The new condition price is $700 at authorized Grado dealers.

PS: especially with Grados, beware of any urecognizable sellers offering them at Amazon/Warehouse, especially if the prices are too good to be true.

Running until January 5 (2018) or earlier if sold out, you can get this bundle for $499 with free shipping from BuyDig: it is a Beyerdynamic + iFi combo. Use coupon code LISTENCLEAR to drop the price from $728 to $499. For that, you get:

If the Innerfidelity review of the FOCAL CLEAR got you to reconsider these headphones as they are having around ride on the hype train, we have good news for you, they are in-stock for their opening price of $1500 at seven different recognizable audio dealers through Amazon, five of which are Prime eligible.

BuyDIG is having a clearance sale with over 560 items eligible for an additional 20% off discount using coupon code CLEAROUT15 at checkout. Among them are 25 headphones, earphones, and other related products eligible for the coupon. Some are new condition, many are open-box, so check each individual listing for details. The coupon expires 12/31/17.

For a limited time only, the new condition Pioneer SE-MHR5 closed-back headphones with a detachable balanced cable are on sale for $75 with free shipping at BuyDIG, with a USA warranty. The offer includes automatic/built-in coupon code c11711187497.

The popularity of the FOCAL headphones at the audiophile tier, especially after the Innerfidelity glowing review of the CLEAR is having a bit of a “tide lifts all boats” effect on their previous models. Massdrop went back to the older FOCAL headphones, and is now offering, fully unlocked, the new condition FOCAL Spirit Classic Closed-Back Over-Ears for $180 with free US shipping.

The offer runs for the next three days and change as of blog-posting time, and will ship from Massdrop in early February 2018. All sales final. There is no mention of warranty in the listing.

Speaking of the older FOCAL closed-back headphones, their consumer tier closed-back over-ear FOCAL Spirit One S currently goes for $79 and fulfilled by Amazon (Prime shipping).

Another offer has fully blossomed (okay, “fully unlocked”) at members-only Massdrop, it is the new condition Ultimate Ears UE900s IEMs going for $175 with free shipping to US addresses. The offer runs for the next three days and change (as of blog-posting time) and will ship in late January 2018 from Massdrop. All sales are final as usual. It comes with a 1-year manufacturer warranty per the listing.

Instant gratification without breaking the bank! Among the eligible products for FREE NeXt DAY Delivery at B&H Photo you can get the new condition Sennheiser HP 02-100 lightweight on-ears. That’s right, you pay $25 and you still get free next day delivery. There’s no coupon for the offer, it happens automatically while this offer is running. The offer expires Thursday at 2pm eastern (or earlier if an item goes out of stock).

NOTE that these are “enhanced speech intelligibility”, they are not an audiophile model.

If you love receiving your orders very quickly, B&H Photo is offering FREE NEXT-DAY delivery on select Audio products on orders placed by Thursday at 2pm eastern time. You don’t need a coupon. The eligible items mention the free next day shipping promotion on their own pages.

This is a pretty, pretty, pretty good deal! For $25 with free shipping (after you add to cart), you can get the new condition Beyerdynamic Custom i Closed On-Ears from NewEgg actual with up to three pairs per customer. No promo code needed, no email subscription, just add to cart and proceed. The offer ends Thursday night or earlier if sold out.

These are on-ears, not to be confused with their more famous Custom Over-Ears/Studio models. This particular model I have not seen in person, but I have a very similar looking Custom Street On-Ears with a text and pictures unboxing and an in-progress/incomplete review diary.

They have a switch on the earcup that adjust the bass quantity, from too little to too much 🙂 They also have detachable outer earcup covers that can be replaced (a tool for doing this is included). They are also dual entry, so you can stick the 3.5mm cable on either side. Or you can stick two different music sources in each earcup for more “fun” 🙂 You also get a carrying case and a handful of “shields” (outer earcup covers).

I don’t know what the differences are between the “i” NewEgg sells and the “Street” that I have. I haven’t found any difference by looking at the description and pictures, but I’m no Sherlock Holmes. The Street have a skateboarder on the box cover art and that signifies that they have a grip on the head. Not a vice grip, but not the type of headphone you’d wear for 20 hours non-stop 🙂